AEGON N.V., formed in 1983, is one of the largest life insurance and pension groups in the world. The company offers a variety of long-term savings and investment products and has over 40 million policyholders. There are over 30,000 employees at AEGON who oversee operations at locations worldwide, including major operations in the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The company’s world headquarters are in The Hague, and the United States operations are headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. AEGON is committed to philanthropy and contributes to many causes, including oncology research.

In 2000, under the leadership of then CEO DONALD J. SHEPARD (pictured here), AEGON provided funding to Johns Hopkins cancer initiatives, awarding a grant to Johns Hopkins for fellowships in prostate and breast cancer research. As a result of this and successive grants, scientists at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins are engaged in international collaborative cancer research with two major centers in the Netherlands, the Vrije University Oncology Research Institute in Amsterdam and the University Medical Center in Utrecht. In 2008, to honor Mr. Shepard at his retirement from AEGON, the company established the AEGON Professorship in Prostate Cancer Research at Johns Hopkins.

MICHAEL A. CARDUCCI, MD, the inaugural AEGON Professor of Prostate Cancer Research, is a professor of oncology and urology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is co-leader of the Prostate Cancer/Genitourinary Oncology Program and co-leader of the Chemical Therapeutics Program within the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. He is also a member of the Brady Urological Institute.

A translational researcher, Dr. Carducci directs a laboratory program focused on the re-expression of epigenetically silenced genes in cancer cells, and manages a portfolio of clinical trials targeted at introducing small molecules into cancer treatment. Overall, his laboratory and clinical research focus is on the development and evaluation of new therapies for urologic cancers.

A fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Carducci is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Urological Association (AUA). Dr. Carducci serves as the principal investigator of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) phase I clinical trial grant titled, “Phase I Clinical Trials of Anti-Cancer Agents,” of a major project in the Johns Hopkins Prostate Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence entitled, “Advancing Epigenetic Therapy in Prostate Cancer.” He also leads the Johns Hopkins site for the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium grant.

In collaboration with two Dutch universities, Dr. Carducci has co-directed the AEGON International Fellowship in Oncology. In addition, he has received peer-reviewed funding for his laboratory and clinical research from the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Mentorship of students, fellows and junior faculty has been another focus of Dr. Carducci’s career in medicine, receiving numerous teaching awards.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Dr. Carducci received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine internship, residency and chief residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He went on to complete medical oncology and research fellowships at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital.